Saturday was the last 2 sessions of the Authorpreneur series at the library. It was just as interesting and helpful and helped me solidify my decision to return to self-publishing now that I understand the publishing platform. J. helped us understand how KDP is changing as Amazon slowly gets rid of CreateSpace. There is a paperback option through KDP now. And, he gave tips on how to build your audience, mainly through a mailing list which is what he does. Some of the things he talked about I had a different experience with but I’ll get into that in a bit.
Part 3- Understand Amazon:
As I said, Amazon is slowly doing away with CreateSpace as a publishing platform and condensing it all into KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing). So, he talked about what KDP is, Kindle Select- the author program that allows readers to get your book through the Kindle Unlimited subscription, how you can have promotions where your eBook is free or temporarily discounted. He explained how you can have your ebook available for pre-order. Also the importance of making sure you deliver on that pre-order otherwise you will be banned from it for a year.
He talked about ACX- basically the indie audio book platform through Amazon. This is definitely something I want to get into down the road. I think I’ll do a video once my book is out to better explain these things because it’s better to have a visual walkthrough, at least that’s how I can learn and explain best.
Part 4- Build Your Audience
J. focuses on email marketing to get a personal connection with his audience. I’m trying this as well to see if it works for me.
He mentioned a 2008 blog article by Kevin Kelly called “1000 True Fans.” The theory is that all you need is 1000 people who stick with you and you can make a living as a writer. These are the people who put you on your “auto-buy” list. They buy your merch. They come see your live events. They stick by you and follow you through it all. I think this is a really interesting theory.
The biggest think J keeps stating through all this is targeting your genre readers. This helps the Amazon algorithm work in your favor. Because your books will show up in their “People Also Bought” list and there’s a better chance of then clicking on it when browsing.
While marketing your book and building your audience, it’s important not to let it get all consuming. Because if you’re constantly marketing, you’re not writing and you’re neglecting the other obligations in your life. I try to make sure I’m “Off the clock” by dinner time. I plan out all my tasks for my day to have an even balance of writing and promoting and then the evening (unless I have day job work, a class, or family obligation) is “quality couple time.” Phones get put to the side, Joe and I cuddle on the couch, put on a movie, and unwind from the day.
J. did a brief overview of the different ways to promote your work. Some, he says, haven’t worked for him but I have had relative success.
- Blogging- Hello reader. Now, I’ve been blogging for years. Haven’t always kept up with it as diligently but I’m getting better. In J’s opinion, it’s hard to blog for fiction writers but I’ve set up a system I think that works for me. From what I’ve seen when looking for ideas is that most fiction bloggers and vloggers (as some of this will apply to YouTube below) focus on sharing experiences. My W.O.C. Wednesdays talks about my progress, when I’ve hit a block, when I find an editor, cover reveal (someday), and more. I also feel it’s important to support other creators. Hence why I started my Feature Fridays. It’s a lot of work and I do have to spend time scheduling posts if I have a busy week ahead but my blog is growing. What blew my mind was the first time I saw people outside the US in my stats. Whaaat? I actually danced around the room when I saw that. Hubby thought I had officially lost my mind, haha.
- Podcasting- A lot of writers have podcasts. I’m currently binging “That Smart Hustle” by Kristen Martin and I have a huge list on my iPod with a backlog to listen to. It’s basically a radio show. Podcasts are more mobile than a blog because you can listen to it while doing anything. Some have it playing in their cars, while doing laundry, or working on computer. It’s a free subscription and available on demand so you can listen whenever your schedule allows. I’m tossing ideas around for a collab with my friend Lisa. We’ve been wanting to do a video again but my camera died and I haven’t figured out the new one I bought last year. But, she has the audio software. It’s just a matter of finding time to record and figure out how to add to iTunes.
- YouTube- Videos! Now, you can’t exactly watch a video while driving or at the gym but I like to have videos on while cooking dinner. Again, according to J and his experience, it didn’t work out too well for him. And, I only have about 80 subscribers on my YouTube channel. And, I no longer have a set schedule to post. But, I like making videos. I like talking about my work and my passion and it’s another outlet to share my experience and my life with potential readers.
- Social Media- There is so many social media platforms. They come and go. (Remember Myspace?) So, you can find something that maybe works for a while but then something happens and it’s not as helpful anymore and you have to find something new. Take Facebook for example. It’s a hugely popular platform. I use it a lot to network on groups and keep in touch with friends and family all over the country. And, I do have an author page. But, a while back, they changed their policy so that only about 2% of the people who liked your page will actually see your content in their feed. They’d actually have to click on the page to see what I post there. What good is that going to do for me? I don’t have a huge following. A couple hundred people, mostly friends and family. So, I haven’t posted as regularly there as I probably could unless it’s something I feel is really important and I have to share everywhere possible. (Like my To Kill A Mockingbird rant a while back) So, I’ve moved on to Twitter and Instagram for more regular posting. I have a Snapchat but that’s private. And, Tumblr is also an occasional posting.
- Online Communities- This can include Facebook groups or the NaNoWriMo forum. Anywhere people can gather and talk online about a common interest. I’m on all kinds of groups, especially on Facebook. Writing, Planner Girls, Buffy and Doctor Who fan groups. And, this is a great way to get to know other people and share ideas. I’ve even talked about how Buffy is a huge influence to my writing on the fan group and bounced ideas off fellow fans. Now, you can’t go in and just start spamming the thread “Buy My Book!” That’s asking to get banned. But, you can engage and get to know and maybe mention it as a by the way after you’ve been there for a few months.
- Live Events- This can get tricky. And expensive. J. mentioned ComicCon and I definitely want to travel to New York and be part of Book Expo and BookCon. There’s a lot of time and planning and money going into this. Travel, lodging, hauling your books and other promo items. And, sometimes you don’t earn that back in book sales but you do get a chance to network and engage.
Panels and classes also count. In 2015 and 2016, I did the NaNoWriMo kick-off party. (I recorded the 2016 one) And, again, it’s another way to share advice and your experiences with other writers and engage with potential readers.
So, that’s an overview of some of what I’ve leaned in this series. J. Thorn is doing another class next month and I’ll definitely talk about that. I’m already signed up and so excited to learn more.